The WordPress Reviews Plugin We Install On Every Client Website That Needs More Google Reviews

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Here’s a truth most business owners already know but rarely act on: reviews sell your business. Google reviews influence local search rankings, decision-making, and buyer trust more than almost any other marketing signal. A restaurant with 200 reviews and a 4.6 average will out-sell one with 12 reviews and a 4.8 average almost every time. Volume matters as much as quality.

And yet, most small businesses have this problem:

You do brilliant work. Your customers are happy. You’ve been in business five years. You have… seventeen Google reviews. Meanwhile the competitor down the road has 340, and they’re getting the enquiries.

The reason is boring and universal: happy customers don’t leave reviews on their own. They mean to. They forget. You mean to ask. You feel awkward asking. So nobody does anything. The reviews you’ve earned in real life never make it online.

After building websites for more than 300 businesses since 2009, we’ve watched this pattern kill client growth over and over. So we started recommending — and now install as standard — a plugin our sister company Rixden built specifically for this problem. It’s called Rixden Reviews.

Why the usual “review solutions” don’t work

Most business owners have tried at least one of these:

Manually asking every customer works for the first month and then falls off a cliff. Nobody has time to email 40 customers a week individually asking for a review.

A “leave us a review” link in the email footer converts at somewhere between 0.5% and 2%. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not going to move the needle.

Enterprise review platforms like Trustpilot, Yotpo, or BirdEye actually work well — but they cost R3,000 – R15,000 per month, take weeks to configure, and are massively overbuilt for a business trying to get to 100 Google reviews.

Most WordPress review plugins are display-only. They show off reviews you already have. They don’t help you get more. That’s the wrong end of the problem.

Starfish Reviews is one of the few that tries to solve the collection side — but its interface feels dated, its funnel structure is confusing, and its “gating” flow (only sending 5-star reviewers to Google) technically violates Google’s own review policies.

None of these solve what small businesses actually need: an easy, ethical, done-for-you way to ask every customer for a review, follow up if they forget, and display the results on your website.

Enter Rixden Reviews

Rixden Reviews is the plugin Rixden built to fix this — with a focused, non-gimmicky approach designed for real small businesses. It handles the whole cycle: ask → collect → moderate → display.

Here’s how it works:

1. You send a request. After a job is finished, an order is delivered, or a customer walks out happy — you send a review request from your WordPress admin. Just a name, email, and one click. The customer gets a beautifully designed email with a unique link that takes them to a review form on your site.

2. They leave a review. Right on your website, no third-party redirects. They rate you, write their feedback, and submit. The review lands in your moderation queue.

3. You approve it. One click. It publishes to your website with proper Google Schema markup — meaning it shows up in Google’s search results as those coveted star ratings under your business name.

4. Google gets asked too. Every reviewer — regardless of rating — sees a call-to-action to also leave a Google review. That’s the compliant, ethical approach. No gating. Google’s own policies actually require this, and it protects your business profile from being penalised.

Here’s what makes it different:

It gets you reviews, doesn’t just display them. The collection engine is the core feature, not an afterthought.

It’s Google-policy compliant. Every reviewer sees the Google CTA. This isn’t a legal gray area — it’s how Google says review generation must work.

It’s not tied to a third party. Reviews live on your website. If you ever leave WordPress, you keep every review you’ve earned.

Full translation support. Send review requests in any language. Every customer-facing string can be translated with Loco Translate.

It’s a proper WordPress plugin, not a bloated SaaS platform. Under 100KB. No phoning home in the free version. Doesn’t slow your site down.

Pro adds the scale and automation

Once you’re sending more than a few requests a week, you’ll want the Pro features:

  • Bulk requests + CSV import — upload 500 customers at once and send review requests to all of them from a single screen
  • WhatsApp one-tap sharing — send review requests via WhatsApp instead of email (a huge advantage in South Africa where WhatsApp is the default communication channel)
  • Automated follow-up reminders — if a customer hasn’t responded in 3 days (or whatever you set), Rixden Reviews sends one gentle reminder. That alone typically doubles conversion.
  • Custom email templates — write your own subject lines and body copy with merge tags like {customer_name} that auto-populate
  • Photo uploads — let reviewers attach photos to their reviews (photos + text convert much better than text alone)
  • Public replies — respond to reviews on your site with an inline editor. Shows future prospects you’re engaged and responsive.
  • Slider and masonry display layouts — beyond the standard grid, choose Pinterest-style masonry or a rotating slider
  • Branded QR codes — generate printable QR codes to put on receipts, business cards, or in-store signage
  • Analytics with click-conversion tracking — see how many requests were sent, opened, and converted into reviews
  • Auto-approve by star rating — automatically publish 4- and 5-star reviews, hold anything below for manual moderation

The Pro workflow is what turns Rixden Reviews from “a review widget” into an actual review generation engine.

Real businesses using it

For our own web design clients, we’ve installed Rixden Reviews on:

  • A local Cape Town restaurant that went from 43 Google reviews to 380 in six months
  • A photographer who now sends a WhatsApp review request to every wedding client the day after the event
  • A service provider that automated review requests through Zapier and their existing CRM — reviews now trigger automatically after each completed job

The pattern is consistent: businesses that were getting 1-2 reviews a month organically are now getting 15-30 per month with almost no additional effort.

Pricing

The free version is live on the WordPress.org plugin directory — install in two clicks, no signup needed. Unlimited review requests, moderation, grid display, Schema markup, Google CTA, translation support — enough to make a real dent in your review count without spending anything.

The Pro version is priced for small businesses:

  • $49/year (roughly R900) for a single site, or $179 (roughly R3,300) once-off for lifetime
  • $99/year (roughly R1,800) for up to 3 sites, or $349 (roughly R6,400) lifetime
  • $199/year (roughly R3,650) for unlimited sites

Compare that to R3,000+/month for a Trustpilot subscription and it’s a no-brainer.

Should you use it?

If your business relies at all on reviews — and if you’re a local, service, or product business, it does — install the free version this week. Send five requests to recent customers. See how many convert. If it works (and it will), consider Pro to scale it.

If you’re a web designer building sites for clients, this is a plugin that pays for itself in client retention. Businesses that see their Google reviews jump from 40 to 300 don’t leave you. They send you referrals.

You can grab it here:

Questions or want to see it in action on a client site? Get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.

The WordPress Quote Plugin We Install On Every Service Business Client’s Website

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If you run a service business — catering, landscaping, photography, entertainment, embroidery, whatever it is — the way you handle quote requests is probably costing you sales. Not because your prices are wrong, but because the request-to-quote process is broken.

We see it constantly. A potential client visits your website, clicks the Contact Us button, types “Hi, can I get a quote?” and hits send. Now you email back asking for details. They reply two days later with half the info. You email again. They ghost you for a week. By the time you finally send a proper quote, they’ve booked someone else who was quicker off the mark.

After building websites for more than 300 businesses since 2009, we got tired of watching our clients lose deals to slow, clunky quoting workflows. So we did something about it — through Rixden, our sister company that builds WordPress plugins. The result is a plugin we now install on almost every service business website we create.

Why the usual “solutions” don’t cut it

Before Rixden Quote Builder existed, we tried everything.

Contact forms are too vague. Clients don’t know what to ask for, and you get a flood of “just checking pricing” emails that go nowhere.

WooCommerce is massive overkill for a service business. It forces your business into a retail cart mindset — customers add products, checkout, pay. That’s not how a landscaping quote or a wedding catering enquiry works. You end up disabling half the features and still have a bloated site with 30+ extra database tables.

Fancy CRMs like HoneyBook or Dubsado are great — but they cost R2,500 – R5,000 per month, take weeks to set up, and pull your customer away from your website to a third-party portal.

Custom-coded quote forms work, sort of, but every time you add a new service or change pricing, you’re back to the developer. And they still look like a form from 2015.

None of these actually solve the real problem: the client wants to build their own quote instantly, on your site, and get a professional response back the same day.

Enter Rixden Quote Builder

Rixden Quote Builder is the plugin our sister company Rixden developed specifically to solve this problem — after we spent years fielding the same frustration from our web design clients. It turns your website into a visual quote builder — think of it like an ordering experience for services.

Your clients browse your services (with photos and descriptions), select what they want, adjust quantities, add event or job details, and submit the request. You get an email notification within seconds. The request shows up in a dashboard on your WordPress admin, fully itemised, ready to review.

If you’re on the Pro version, you can then click Edit & Send Official Quote, tweak the pricing if needed, add discounts or a message, and send the client a branded PDF quote. They accept or decline online. Payment gets marked. An invoice generates automatically. Done.

The whole point is to compress a two-week back-and-forth into a same-day response.

Here’s what makes it different:

It looks good out of the box. No wrestling with theme conflicts or clunky forms. The interface is modern, mobile-friendly, and works with every WordPress theme we’ve tested it on.

No WooCommerce required. It’s a standalone plugin, so your site stays lightweight.

It works for any service niche. It’s already being used by catering businesses, entertainment bookings, embroidery studios, and it works equally well for landscapers, photographers, moving companies, solar installers, and salons. If you sell services with variable quantities or scope, it fits.

Free version does the basics. Categories, products, quote requests, admin dashboard, email notifications. Enough for most small businesses to get started with zero cost.

Pro adds the full quote-to-paid workflow. Branded PDF quotes, online acceptance, automated follow-up reminders, invoice generation, and email customisation.

Features that actually matter

A few things we’re particularly impressed with in the plugin:

  • Category shortcodes for SEO landing pages. Want a dedicated page for wedding catering, another for corporate lunches? Use

    Request a Quote

    Browse our services and build your quote

    0
    and only wedding items show. Each page ranks in Google separately.
  • Variable pricing for products where price depends on demand. Entertainers charge more on public holidays. Photographers charge based on package. Toggle “Variable Pricing” and display POA, Varies, or Contact for quote instead of a fixed number.
  • Fully translatable. Every customer-facing string works with Loco Translate. Paying customers are already running the plugin in Dutch, Afrikaans, and English.
  • Custom form fields. Ask for the event date, delivery address, dietary requirements, whatever your business needs.
  • Follow-up reminders. Automated emails go out if a client hasn’t accepted after X days. No more manually chasing quotes.

Real businesses using it

An entertainment booking company in the US uses it with the category shortcode on separate pages for face painters, magicians, and DJs — each page ranks for its own search term.

An embroidery studio in the Netherlands migrated their entire quoting workflow off spreadsheets and email to Rixden Quote Builder. They now send professional PDF quotes in under 30 seconds.

For our own web design clients, we’ve been installing it on catering sites, event management sites, and service-based small businesses across South Africa. The most common feedback: “I’m actually closing more quotes because I’m responding faster.”

Pricing

The free version is live on the WordPress.org plugin directory. Install it in two clicks, no signup needed.

The Pro version starts at $79/year (roughly R1,450) for a single site, or $229 (roughly R4,200) once-off for a lifetime licence. If you compare that to R5,000/month for HoneyBook, or the developer hours of custom-coding a quote form, it’s an easy call.

If you want to see it in action before installing anything, there’s a live demo running here — click around, add items, submit a test quote, break it if you can.

Should you use it?

If you build websites for service businesses, or you are a service business owner, and you’re using anything other than a purpose-built quote system — try it. Even the free version will probably outperform whatever you have now.

Rixden built it because we — as their sister web design agency — needed it for our own client work. It’s now being used by service businesses across three continents.

You can grab it here:

Questions or want to see it in action on a client project? Get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.

The WordPress Careers Plugin We Install On Every Client Website That Needs to Hire

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If you run a growing business, the way you handle job applications is probably a mess. Not because you don’t care about hiring — but because most businesses default to whatever’s easiest, which usually means posting a “We’re hiring, email us at info@…” line at the bottom of the About page.

Then you get 20 applications a week in your inbox. CVs mixed with actual client emails. Half the applicants forget to mention which role they’re applying for. You lose track of who you’ve replied to. Someone falls through the cracks. Two weeks later a good candidate accepts a job somewhere else because you never got back to them.

After building websites for more than 300 businesses since 2009, we’ve watched this pattern play out dozens of times. So through Rixden — our sister company that builds WordPress plugins — we now install a proper careers system on every client website that needs one. It’s called Rixden Career Manager, and it’s what we recommend when a client says “we want to add a careers page.”

Why the usual “solutions” don’t work

Before Rixden Career Manager existed, our options were limited.

Email-based job postings are how most small businesses start. It works for one job at a time and instantly falls apart at three. No tracking, no organisation, no way to see the pipeline.

Big HR platforms like BambooHR, Workable, or Greenhouse are excellent — but they cost R8,000 – R15,000 per month, take weeks to configure, and completely replace your website’s careers page with their own hosted portal. Overkill for a business hiring 2-3 people a year.

Existing WordPress job plugins are either abandoned (last update three years ago), massively bloated (WP Job Manager alone bundles half a dozen add-ons and dependencies), or built for job boards where you list other companies’ jobs — not your own.

Custom-coded careers pages work until you need to add applicant filtering, resume storage, status updates, or automated candidate emails. Then you’re back to the developer every month.

None of these actually solve the real problem: a small-to-medium business just wants to list a few jobs, receive applications through a clean form, and manage the pipeline without paying enterprise prices.

Enter Rixden Career Manager

Rixden Career Manager is the plugin Rixden built to fill this gap — after we spent years installing bloated alternatives on client sites and wishing there was something simpler. It’s a lightweight, focused careers system for businesses that need to hire but don’t need a full HR suite.

The free version does more than you’d expect:

  • Unlimited jobs, unlimited departments, unlimited applications
  • Frontend careers board with search, department filter, job type filter, work model filter (remote/hybrid/on-site)
  • Apply-in-place modal with resume upload — no redirect to a separate site
  • Session-based favourites so candidates can shortlist jobs
  • Admin dashboard with pipeline stats and clickable stat cards
  • Fully customisable frontend styling — title sizes, colours, button styles — from the Settings tab
  • Notification emails when new applications arrive
  • Search and sort across all applications in a single table

You install it, add a couple of departments, create your first job, and paste the rixden-careers shortcode on your careers page. That’s it. Ten minutes from install to accepting applications.

Here’s what makes it different from what’s out there:

It’s not a job board. It’s a careers system for your business. Every job is yours, every application comes to you.

It has zero external dependencies. No Google Fonts, no phoning home, no third-party APIs. Runs entirely on your server.

It’s tiny. Under 40KB total. Won’t slow your site down like the bigger job plugins do.

It looks good. Modern, mobile-friendly interface that works with every WordPress theme. No wrestling with clunky forms from 2015.

The free version is genuinely useful on its own. No trialware, no locked features that break your workflow until you upgrade.

Pro adds the workflow layer

Once you’re getting real application volume, you’ll want the Pro features:

  • Application status pipeline — move candidates through 6 stages (Pending, Reviewing, Shortlisted, Interviewed, Hired, Rejected) with a single click
  • Automated candidate emails — applicants get a confirmation email when they apply, and a status update every time you move them through the pipeline. No more manually chasing candidates.
  • Custom email templates — customise every automated email with variables like {name}, {job_title}, and {app_id} that auto-populate
  • Application notes — private internal notes on any candidate so your hiring team stays aligned
  • CSV export — pull all application data out in one click for spreadsheet analysis or importing into another system
  • Locations management — add locations as a filter for jobs (useful once you have offices in multiple cities)
  • Job view tracking — see how many times each listing has been viewed so you know which jobs need better exposure
  • Priority support — direct email support from the Rixden team

The workflow layer is what turns Career Manager from “a place to receive CVs” into an actual hiring system.

Real businesses using it

For our own web design clients, we’ve installed Career Manager on:

  • A South African retail chain hiring across multiple store locations — the location filter is a lifesaver
  • A tech startup hiring engineers, marketing, and ops in parallel — the pipeline view keeps their hiring team aligned
  • A hospitality business with high seasonal turnover — the automated candidate emails saved them hours per week

The most common piece of feedback: “I forgot how many CVs used to just sit in my inbox unread.”

Pricing

The free version is live on the WordPress.org plugin directory. Two clicks to install, no signup needed.

The Pro version is genuinely affordable:

  • $39/year (roughly R720) for a single site
  • $79/year (roughly R1,450) for up to 3 sites
  • $149/year (roughly R2,750) for unlimited sites

Compare that to R8,000+/month for enterprise HR platforms and it’s an easy call for any small business that hires a few people a year.

Should you use it?

If you run a small-to-medium business that hires occasionally and you’re still using email or a bloated third-party plugin, install the free version this week. It’ll pay for itself in saved time within the first week of your next hiring push.

If you’re a web designer building sites for clients who need a careers page — this is the plugin to reach for. We now install it as a default on any client site that mentions hiring at any stage.

You can grab it here:

Questions or want to see it in action on a client project? Get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.

Cassel Advisory – Investment Property Australia

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As the founder of Cassel Advisory, Keegan’s journey was fueled by a passion for property investment and a desire to help others navigate the complex world of real estate to cut a clear pathway to financial freedom.His expertise has been built on a self made property portfolio of over a dozen properties across several Australian states, corporate experience in the property development and construction sectors as well as operating as a consultant for other large scale established buyers agencies.

Contact Cassel Advisory today for all your property investment needs in Australia

Immaculate Tree Felling Johannesburg

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We handle all tree felling and removals, including root and branch removal or removal of and entire tree.

We also undertake tree trimming, which will help to maintain the tree shape and appearance while trimming broken or dead branches will reduce any potential risks they may impose.

We handle all tree felling and removals, including root and branch removal or removal of and entire tree.

We also undertake tree trimming, which will help to maintain the tree shape and appearance while trimming broken or dead branches will reduce any potential risks they may impose. Read More about our Tree fellers.

Tree felling services:

Contact Immaculate Tree Felling services today for all your tree felling needs!

Oil for Health | Natural Medicines | CBD Oils | Essential Oils

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Are you looking for quality CBD Products online? Oil for Health is passionate about your health and offer a wide variety of CBD Products and oils for all your needs. Purchase CBD Products online including:

We provide Medicinal Cannabis on consultation.

We are passionate about helping people to heal.

I was a key Account manager for an IT company but for many years had a calling to help heal people. I just didn’t know how to go about it. When I left my company about three years ago I started with Essential Oils but somehow knew there must be more to helping people heal. Cannabis then fell into my lap.

I worked through a third party, learnt as much as I could, studied online and then found certain suppliers that had the products to help people and that were willing to teach me about their products. I worked from home and attended many exhibitions. I realise that it made sense to open an Ecommerce store and a store front, once I could after lock down so that I could assist more people with their health.

We consult with each client to establish how long they have had the issue, lifestyle, diet, exercise, medications etc. This all assists us to provide the correct product/s from a number of ranges to heal a particular person. No two people have the same DNA make up and what works for one may not work for another.

Medications and length of disease/health issue can also have a huge impact on how one heals and whether its best to take an oil, capsule or both or some other method of ingesting CBD.

Vitamin and mineral supplements of good quality, work synergistically with CBD providing they are the correct combination.

SkindeepSA – Love the skin you’re in

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Are you looking for the best in skincare products? Buy the best quality and specialized skincare products online from Skin Deep SA!

Products sold online by SkindeepSA include but are not limited to:

ColorScience Products

When it comes to sunscreen, we believe it should be a purely physical relationship—not a chemical one.
Because the best defense is a mineral sun care offense.

Buy ColoreScience Products online

Essel Products

Ongoing collaboration with the medical sector has enabled mesoestetic to develop numerous innovative products to treat other aesthetic problems associated with signs and symptoms of aging and figure concerns.

The results and effectiveness of these products are known worldwide as the company now markets its products in more than 50 countries through distributors and renowned aesthetics professionals.

Buy Essel Products Online

ISDIN Products

45 years on, ISDIN is still at the forefront of skincare research, pushing the boundaries of cosmetic formulation.

As a leading company in European dermocosmetics, we are now present across the globe, working hand-in-hand with scientific communities and dermatologists to provide a range of advanced skin solutions suited to your skin’s every need.

Buy ISDIN Products Online

Lamelle Products

Lamelle Research Laboratories is a proudly South African cosmeceutical brand that develops evidence-based innovations using research through biotechnology. They create meaningful solutions that build confidence, ranging from pigmentation, problematic skin, age correction and sun protection. Lamelle ensures skin is able to protect against environmental threats by strengthening skin elastin, fibroblasts, hyaluronic acids, enzymes, and collagen. Lamelle is an innovative company, inspired by people and their individual skin needs. They are hungry for results and are dedicated to the science of skin.

Buy Lamelle Products Online

Luscious Lips Products

The revolutionary needle-free anti-aging lip treatment from the USA that provides a true medicated, high-performance alternative to lip enhancing injections with clear and instant results, is now available in South Africa.

Buy Luscious Lips Products Online

MD Lash Products

MD Lash Factor is a formulation from Dr Susan F. Lin.
This award-winning formula is revolutionary and combines the latest in skin care science and safe ingredients to result in longer, fuller and thicker looking lashes.

Buy MD Lash Products Onlnie

Mesoestetic Products

Ongoing collaboration with the medical sector has enabled mesoestetic to develop numerous innovative products to treat other aesthetic problems associated with signs and symptoms of aging and figure concerns.

The results and effectiveness of these products are known worldwide as the company now markets its products in more than 50 countries through distributors and renowned aesthetics professionals.

Buy Mesoestetic Products Online

Nassif MD Products

Dr. Paul Nassif is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with years of experience.

Combining this experience with years of extensive research, he developed his skincare line.

This line of skincare products is tailored to provide the very best in anti-aging and rejuvenating effects.

Employing his vast knowledge of what lies underneath our skin and what causes it to breakdown and in turn age prematurely,
Dr. Nassif with some industry leading chemists, developed the most scientifically advanced skincare formula out on the market today.

Buy NassifMD Products Online

ZO Skin Health Products

At ZO® Skin Health, we believe the only way to achieve skin health is through the power of science.

With world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi as our legacy, ZO® Skin Health pushes the boundaries of medical-grade skincare.

Combining our innovative approach, powerful technologies and product education, ZO® brings a new perspective to

From correcting sun damage + pigmentation to preventing + protecting against future damage, ZO® has your skin health covered.

Buy Zo Skin Health Products Online

Get gonn – Natural anti-ordorant | Vegan Deodorant

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Natural anti-odorant. No staining, no aluminum, no parabens, no propellants, no alcohol, and most importantly: no stink.

It’s healthy for our bodies to perspire, so our secret blend of ingredients allows you to sweat while balancing your microbiome to stop the stink.

get gonn. stop the stink.

SkindeepSA - Skincare Products

SkindeepSA – Skincare Products

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We are proud to announce the launch of the SkindeepSA Website. SkindeepSA specialises in skincare products and are now available online on their online store – https://skindeepsa.co.za/

The following skincare products are available for purchase online:

Shop online at SkindeepSA today and do their free online skin assessment and earn loyalty points to qualify for discount on any future orders placed online.

Shop Skincare Products Now

Centurion System Repairs – Electric Gates and Centurion Gate Motors

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Centurion System Repairs specialise in the repair and installation of electric gates and electric gate motors in Pretoria and Johannesburg. They have years of experience and are experts in their field of service.

Services Include but are not limited to the installation and repairs of:

Get in touch with Centurion System Repairs today for all your electric gate, motor and sliding gate installation and repair requirements.